Judge, 1901-12-21 · page 16 of 16
Judge — December 21, 1901 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"An Observing Genius"** mocks the gap between classroom instruction and street reality. A teacher asks where things orbit Earth; a boy answers "hoboes"—vagrants who traveled constantly. The joke relies on the era's widespread hobo culture: the child has observed actual human movement patterns more keenly than abstract astronomy. **"The Only Way"** plays on Irish-American stereotypes (evident from dialect spelling: "yee," "phwere," "dhrink"). A woman learns her husband fell in a lake but remains indifferent—he's presumably so lazy and drunk that only an alarm clock or thirst would motivate him to leave bed. The satire targets both working-class Irish immigrants and stereotypes about alcoholism and idleness prevalent in early-1900s American humor. Both cartoons reflect Judge's satirical approach to social observation and ethnic caricature typical of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN OBSERVING GENIUS. ‘Teacher—" Yes, Robert: the earth goes round the sun. Now, what goes round the earth ?”* Rosert-—" Hoboes, ma'am.” COPYRIGHT 1901 BY JUDGE COMPANY OF NEW YORK. Sackert& Witbeims Litho & Pig Co NewYork THE ONLY WAY. Fritn>—" Calm yerself fer what I'm goin’ to tell yee, Mrs. Hogan. Yure hushband jusht fell out av a boat, and” Mrs. Hocan—*'An’ phwere is he ?"* Frieno—" He ts lyin’ on th’ bed av th’ lake.”” ins, Hocan—‘* Th’ lazy divil! Thin ye'll niver git him out av thot bed widout an alar-rum-clock or until he wants a dhrink.”* comicbooks.com